Andre Schurrle reportedly has instruction to replicate the individual style of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been lighting up the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for Real Madrid since leaving Old Trafford in a deal that netted Manchester United a then-record transfer fee of £80 million.

The attacker has been threatening to come of age recently and describes his first season under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge as a "hard schooling".

He told Sport BILD: "He put me on the bench in my first year but he has helped me. He has explained to me what I must do better. That I have to bring consistency in my game. I need to invade the penalty box much more often.

“The best example is Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is always where it is dangerous, where the goals are scored. Jose Mourinho has a different way of thinking. Another way of me playing so that sometime I get to the absolute top of the world.”

Elsewhere, Chelsea may fortify their midfield with a Brazilian capable of becoming the next Samba superstar - but they will battle Real Madrid for his signature.

According to talkSPORT, Mourinho and Ancelotti are both interested in Lucas Silva, a deep-lying playmaker perhaps akin to Xabi Alonso.

And finally, Eden Hazard has spoken to the Daily Telegraph: “It’s all going well for me at Chelsea,” he said.

He added: "Maybe this has been the best start in my career so far, although it isn’t reflected in the stats. I have played only one bad game - against Aston Villa."

Hazard continued by remarking that only "extra-terrestrials" are better than him, but cited five players who he regards as superior. Is Franck Ribery really an alien?

“I’m not a top-five player yet,” he said. “Maybe I’m close to it, but I still have to work on some aspects. You can only be part of that group if you are decisive in the top games. I start doing that, like I did against Manchester City and Arsenal.

“Who are better than me? The two extra-terrestrials, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Ribery and [Arjen] Robben. They make the difference almost every game.”